Europe and Central Asia

The Europe and Central Asia region is one of great diversity, a characteristic reflected at many different levels, not least with regard to human rights protection.

While certain countries in the region ensure a high level of protection, including from acts of torture and ill-treatment, it is deplorable that in certain states such abuses are commonplace, in some instances, systematic. Many states could therefore still do much more to put an end to the practices of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

APT’s Europe and Central Asia programme, which includes the former Soviet Central Asian Republics, is engaged in sizeable torture prevention projects in several countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkey. We are also becoming more active in the countries of the Balkan region.

As acts of abuse can potentially take play anywhere, the APT continues to work throughout the region, including in the countries of the European Union.

Engagement with the three main regional inter-governmental organisations, the Council of Europe, European Union and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is also an essential part of our torture prevention strategy in the region.